1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having a minimized lateral dimension and having a pair of boardlocks reliably secured thereon.
2. Description of Related Art
As is shown in FIG. 5, a conventional connector 7 includes a dielectric housing 70, a plurality of terminals 71 secured in the housing 70, a pair of boardlocks 78 mounted on the housing 70, and a metal shield 72 attached to the housing 70.
The housing 70 has a mating wall 701 in which the terminals 71 are received and forms a pair of blocks 702 at opposite lateral ends thereof. The shield 72 surrounds the mating wall 701. Each boardlock 78 is secured in a corresponding block 702 such that a finger 781 thereof extends inwardly toward the mating wall 701 and abuts against the shield 72 for establishing an electrical path therebetween. By such design, the blocks 702 are situated in line with the mating wall 701 and thus require the housing 70 to be significantly wider than the mating wall 701. However, minimization is a trend in computer industry, which prefers compact connectors. The conventional connector can hardly satisfy the minimization requirement since it needs a pair of blocks 702 projecting outwardly beside the mating wall 701 to receive the boardlocks 78. It is thus desired to omit the blocks and provide a connector possessing a width substantially equal to that of the mating wall.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a compact electrical connector with minimized lateral dimension.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a pair of boardlocks reliably secured on lateral sides of a housing thereof without increasing width of the housing.
In order to achieve the objects set forth, an electrical connector comprises a dielectric housing, a pair of metallic boardlocks mounted to the housing, and a shield attached to the housing.
The housing includes a base wall, a mating wall projecting forwardly from the base wall for mating with a complementary connector, and a pair of platforms. The base wall defines a U-shaped recess in each lateral side thereof and forms a rib in the recess. Two sets of cutouts are located between the mating wall and the platforms. One set of dovetail cutouts is defined in a front surface and a bottom surface of the base wall and opens to each outer surface of the base wall.
Each boardlock has a fork-shaped head, a body, a pair of arms extending from the body, and a pair of feet depending from the body for catching a printed circuit board on which the connector is mounted.
The boardlocks are fixed to the housing such that the heads are seated in corresponding recesses of the base wall and the arms are accommodated in corresponding cutouts of the base wall. The ribs and the arms cooperate to position the boardlocks on the housing.
In addition, the shield provides a pair of rearwardly extending fingers which extend across the heads and gripping against the bottom surface of the base wall for securing the boardlocks on the housing and electrically connecting with the boardlocks.
It is a feature of the present invention that the heads seated in the recesses are flush with the outer surfaces of the base wall and the fingers of the shield extending across the heads are flush with the feet extending over the outer surfaces of the base wall. The width of connector is thus minimized as to substantially equal to the width of the mating wall, which is about the width of the mating wall.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.